Viewers take to social media to express their disappointment over what the 'Girls Like You' hitmakers delivered when headlining the Super Bowl LIII's halftime show in Atlanta with Travis Scott and Big Boi.
- Feb 4, 2019
AceShowbiz - Maroon 5 divided Super Bowl viewers on Sunday, February 03 after headlining the sporting extravaganza's Halftime Show with rappers Travis Scott (II) and Big Boi.
The rockers, fronted by Adam Levine, stepped into the spotlight on a stage shaped like an 'M' at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, where they revisited older hits like "Harder to Breathe" and "This Love".
Travis then appeared amid a series of pyrotechnics, and launched into "Sicko Mode", before Maroon 5 returned to the stage with a marching band and a gospel choir to deliver a more soulful version of "Girls Like You".
Big Boi got the audience dancing as he was driven onto the field to perform OutKast's "The Way You Move" with Sleepy Brown, as Levine returned to the microphone to close out the big gig with "Sugar" and "Moves Like Jagger", for which the heavily tattooed singer went topless.
Viewers were quick to weigh in on the show via Twitter, with many left unimpressed by what they considered to be an uninspiring performance.
"Pretty lackluster SuperBowl halftime performance compared to other years," tweeted one person. "Unfortunately, Maroon 5 doesn't have the catalogue nor the charisma to pull off a performance on this scale."
Pretty lackluster SuperBowl halftime performance compared to other years. Unfortunately, Maroon 5 doesn’t have the catalogue nor the charisma to pull off a performance on this scale.
— Melissa (@MiscellanyMel) February 4, 2019
"Is it just me or does @adamlevine look super uncomfortable??" asked another, as one man noted, "I'm not a fan of Maroon 5 but I say without bias, there was no energy in it. The studio versions of the songs sounded better. Pretty much the best thing was OutKast appearing...".
Is it just me or does @adamlevine look super uncomfortable?? 🤔🤔#halftimeshow#SuperBowl53@maroon5
— ᏞᎯᏌℛ℮Ꮑ➵ (@LaurenDee1989) February 4, 2019
#SuperBowlHalftimeShow I’m not a fan of Maroon 5 but I say without bias, there was no energy in it. The studio versions of the songs sounded better. Pretty much the best thing was OutKast appearing and Spongebob (even though he doesn’t sing that song from that episode) pic.twitter.com/zzM09xtKiQ
— Michael Christodoulou (@michaelchristod) February 4, 2019
Other reviewers were keen to point out the lack of cohesiveness throughout the gig: "How Maroon 5 the headliner but the act that don't even mesh well," quizzed one viewer, as another quipped, "Clearly Maroon 5 didn't cancel their NFL press conference to rehearse. All these song transitions are so jarring."
How Maroon 5 the headliner but the act that don’t even mesh well
— Josh Florenzo (@_Flozus) February 4, 2019
Clearly Maroon 5 didn't cancel their NFL press conference to rehearse. All these song transitions are so jarring.
— Andrew Hampp (@ahampp) February 4, 2019
Even fans of the band didn't think the concert measured up to Maroon 5's usual live quality.
"Seen Maroon 5 live twice and that halftime show didn't hold a candle to what I've seen. Awful! #SuperBowl2019 #PepsiHalftimeShow," stated one devotee, as a fellow fan wrote, "I love @maroon5 but disappointed in #HalftimeShow".
Seen Maroon 5 live twice and that halftime show didn’t hold a candle to what I’ve seen. Awful! #SuperBowl2019#PepsiHalftimeShow
— Will (@willowzy) February 4, 2019
I love @maroon5 but disappointed in #HalftimeShow
— Breanne Murray (@breannemarylou) February 4, 2019
The Super Bowl Halftime Show had already been marred by criticism ever since Maroon 5 were first rumoured to have taken on the job in September (2018), with many questioning why NFL bosses didn't pick a famed artist from the musical hotbed of Atlanta to represent the city at the American football championships.
They also faced backlash for accepting the gig when stars like Rihanna and their "Girls Like You" collaborator Cardi B had declined, citing their support of embattled quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whose career has been derailed following his 2016 decision to kneel during the pre-game U.S. national anthem to highlight racial injustice and police brutality.
Prior to Sunday's show, Levine had hinted at the possibility of acknowledging Kaepernick's plight during their performance, but he didn't share any details, and there was no visible tribute onstage.
